


3: Owen

by minglingcrab



Series: Scenes from a Competitive Work Environment [3]
Category: Good Wife (TV)
Genre: Collection: Purimgifts Day 3, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-04
Updated: 2012-03-04
Packaged: 2017-11-01 03:10:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/351289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/minglingcrab/pseuds/minglingcrab
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The good sister.</p>
            </blockquote>





	3: Owen

**Author's Note:**

  * For [summerstorm](https://archiveofourown.org/users/summerstorm/gifts).



When Alicia and Owen were kids, they did not, as a rule, go out together.  Not in high school, not in college; a little more in their post-grad years, and then later, as adults, it was more—dinner, reservations made by Peter’s assistant, family birthdays and anniversaries.  Rather than go out, they’d get tipsy off large glasses of wine on the couch, Peter sometimes there, sometimes working late.  Owen is much funnier after the first glass of wine.

He’s even funnier in a bar after a day of hand-holding clients.  He wants to talk about Will, obviously; he wants to call him lover-boy and give her suggestions on how to permanently defile her office.  Owen is a fan of breakup sex.

“You know what I love?” he says.  “I love that you have no idea what you’re doing.  Really, I’ve never felt so close to you.”

“No, you don't,” Alicia says.  Carefully doesn’t slur.  “You like being the bad one.”

“Oh, I still need you to occupy the place of my moral compass, don’t get me wrong.”  He swirls the ice in his glass.  “No, I don't know why I said that, I don’t need that, I have grown up at least a little since high school.”  He raises his glass to her. “Nice deflection, by the way.”

"Thank you."

"You're welcome.  And for the record, I like when you share, and you never share this much when things are," he stretches the word, _"simple_."

She drains her drink.  There was a time when things were simple; or at least, a time when doubt and confusion were localized.  She knew what she was doing more than a day at a time.   A case at a time, a promotion at a time.  A fling with her boss at a time.

“I think we’ve reached the self-pity stage,” she tells Owen, who is cheered.

"Fabulous," he says.  "I'll tell you why your life is awful, and then you can tell me why my life is awful.  It'll be very validating.  Do me first."

She laughs, and then hiccups.  Owen says, looking at the door, "Shit."

She starts to turn, but he catches her arm.  "Your life is awful because Will Gardner just walked in with a beautiful woman.  There, now you have to do me."

She has time to be surprised, dubious, and a little amused; then Will is there, and the beautiful woman is Kalinda.

They were all in a meeting together less than three hours ago.  Owen nods, friendly, and says, "William."  Kalinda smiles calmly and lets Will introduce her.  Owen invites them to sit down three separate times, and Will glances fractionally at Alicia and doesn't.  

She's always been grateful for how careful he is with her space.

Kalinda lets it go on for about three minutes before she extricates them.

"He is so good to you in bed," Owen says when they're gone.  "Sorry, was.  Was.  Yes, I'm being inappropriate, stop giving me the face. I can't help it, I have eyes."

"I'm too drunk to hit you," Alicia tells him, "but I'm drunk enough to think about it."

"Don't think I missed whatever that byplay was with you and _her_ ," he says.  "What do you all get up to in that office of yours?  All evidence points to backstabbing and orgies."

Alicia buries herself in her glass.

**Author's Note:**

> 


End file.
